HEARD IN THE HALLS: Pot activists learn bureaucracy is the ultimate buzzkill

Saturday

Jan 31, 2009 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2009 at 1:42 AM

Some call it “Black Saturday,” the all-day meeting of the Milton warrant committee where the panel hammers out recommendations for a town budget.

With Milton, like nearly every municipality, facing bleak budgetary options for the coming year, a suggestion was made at Wednesday’s meeting to televise this year’s session, which will take place in early March. It would give residents a better picture of the town’s budget situation, proponents said.

But there is a drawback, committee chairman Tom Hurley said. “We can’t swear as much.”

Good money, if you can get it

People all over are facing salary cuts and freezes these days, but not Kingston Town Administrator Kevin Donovan. Last February, the town threw an extra $17,000 at him when it realized it had a hot commodity on its hands (he almost got hired away by Marshfield). A story at the time said “Donovan this week received a contract extension that will keep him in Kingston until 2011.”

Alas, that wasn't to be. He is giving up that $120,000 salary to take over as the first CEO of South Shore Tri-Town Development Corp., which is developing the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station. New salary: $130,000, a $20,000 bump over what the group was paying executive director Terry Fancher.

Caviar, anyone?

That’s some rug

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is still feeling the heat for the $18,000 carpet he had installed in city hall. But we came across a tidbit recently that makes Koch's carpet sound like a Building 19 special.

John Thain resigned from his job at the head of Bank of America late last week following news that Merrill Lynch – his former employer – had rushed out its year-end bonuses, paying them just before Bank of America completed its acquisition of Merrill Lynch and sought $20 billion in additional government bailout money.

Thain spent somewhere around $1.2 million to redecorate his office, including an $87,000 rug. And he doesn't even have an election fund to dip into.

Life of a rookie

Freshmen legislators including Rep. James Cantwell, D- Marshfield, and their staff haven’t been assigned offices in the State House yet. Until new House Speaker Robert DeLeo makes his committee assignments, they are stuck in a fourth-floor room known as the “Bull Pen.”

But despite the crowded conditions, Cantwell was in good spirits this week, saying it’s an environment conducive to learning to work together.

“But boy,” he said, “it does get hot in here.”

Limits of democracy

The suggestions for a replacement came fast and furious after Sal DiMasi announced he was resigning as House Speaker, the third head of the House in a row to go after being mired in an ethics mess. But some folks really need to pay more attention. Someone with the screen name bobby posted a message to The Patriot Ledger Web site Monday posing the question: “Sen. M Morrissey from Quincy would be a great speaker. why is he not being considered?”

Hmmm. Maybe because he’s in the Senate, not the House?

They look friendly enough

Speaking of DiMasi, we’re not sure if he meant to use the word august in his farewell speech to the House this week, or if he really thinks the “Animal House” he’s been a part of for the past three decades is really a stern, forbidding bunch that shows strict self-discipline and self-denial.

“When I first got here, I was awestruck and couldn’t believe I was elected to this austere body,” he said. “And after a few months, I said, I can’t believe that they got elected to this austere body.”